Last Week of September

Where does time go? Monday is October 1st!
It's been a string of beautiful days and I've done my best to enjoy them, taking walks when I can, and playing with the kittens. Oh, they are growing up so fast! The mother cat has taken them out on the prowl every day. Today they were gone all day and she came back up from a different direction. They ate, but I knew that Half-Pint (the runt) always waits until everyone was done eating. I don't know why exactly. I wonder about him being left behind sometimes. So, when I went out there before dinner, saw them under the catalpas, I realized Half-Pint wasn't going out with them. I went out and called to him. He comes to me. I think I've become like his... grandma or something. The mother cat doesn't like when I interfear. Too bad. I pet him and watched him curl against my leg and want to nuzzle me. None of the other kittens do this. (These are feral cats)
The mother cat came bounding up and I thought, Okay I'll bow out. I walked back up to the house and sat on the picnic table. I was a little surprised that Half-Pint chose to follow me instead. Meowing the whole while. I thought that maybe he might be hungry, so I lead him over to the other side of the house where their food is kept. I sat on the steps and he wanted to lick my fingers. I put the small bowl of food down. He wouldn't eat. But still wanted my finger to lick. So, I tried something different. I took a small piece of food and held it in front of his mouth. He took it! I kept giving these small morsels one by one to him and he ate each piece. Then we decided he was full. I went and got the little toy for him to chew on and claw--instead of my fingers. I played with him for a while and then I had to go in to eat.

Earlier this week we figured out why the water bowls in the backyard would be drained almost within an hour or so after filling them. We couldn't imagine squerels and birds would be sucking down a quart or so of water in one sitting. Then we caught the culpret in the act. A doe. She wanders into our backyard often. I saw her tonight, in fact. And she also find my impatients delectable. I think I have 3 or 4 plants left... *sigh*

After enjoying my husband's mostacholi with meat sauce, I went to do dishes, and Dennis went outside. I knew what he was doing. Playing with the kittens. Well, I threw off my rubber gloves and the apron and went out there.
Dennis is not a cat person. He is a dog person. He'd found this plastic ball--about the size of a baseball--and he has gotten the kittens to play with it. We call it Kitten Soccer. Dennis is the referee and the announcer, of course. The truck is goal. He tosses the ball up in the air and the cats jump up and then pounce on it. One usually gets the ball and does that thing where they curl their body around it and hold it with the front paws and kick with the back while they're on their back or side. Hilarious!

I wish I could post pictures, but I can't. I don't have any to post of the kittens anyway. You'll just have to imagine five kittens attacking this blue ball. And sometimes there are fights on the field. I yell fowl, fowl, but they keep on fighting--sort of like in a hockey game, actually. And meanwhile one kitten bats and races the ball to the goal. Tonight Half-Pint won. 4-1 against Captain Jack.

I've been working simultaniously on Spell of the Black Unicorn, another short story and then also a cover for the short story--"Murder Mansion". It's horror. It was born from flash fiction a few years back, and was published at an on-line publication and the editor (who is also a writer friend) told me I could publish it elsewhere. So, I think this may be my next short story I will publish next month.
Speaking of which, I'm to get my edits back from my publisher in a few weeks, and so eventually I'll be busy going through those whenever I get them. And the search is on for the cover.
So, that's my week in review. Hope you all are having a good weekend!